Nutrition council warns vs. sedentary lifestyle dangers

By Julianne Suarez on July 2, 2019

In time for the launching of the 45th Nutrition Month, the National Nutrition Council (NNC) XI urged the public to pursue a healthier lifestyle.

Amplifying reports that sitting is the new smoking, Dr. Maria Teresa Ungson, NNC XI regional coordinator, said during the SM Kapehan yesterday, said that a sedentary lifestyle, which is often tied down to the career, carries with its serious health risks.

“We have many initiatives to reduce smoking, however, there is the realization that a whole lot of people are inactive,” she said.

“About 80% of the people are not very active but are more into sitting down, sleeping, relaxing. This is related to our careers especially with office works like in the call center where many people are just sitting down during a whole lot of time,” Ungson said.

She said an inactive lifestyle will result in various lifestyle diseases.

“Massive inactivity will lead to many diseases. We call these the lifestyle diseases and these include diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases, and even some forms of cancer,”

“We have to move because it relieves stress. A major cause of cancer is stress so we have to move. This is our part in making ourselves healthy,” she added.

According to Ungson, being active doesn’t necessarily mean to be at the gym. Instead, increasing involvements in basic chores and other day-to-day activities may be part of increasing muscle movements.

“We don’t necessarily have to hit the gym. It’s just a matter of mindset. We can take the stairs (instead of the escalator), wash with hands rather than using the washing machine, hang clothes in the clothesline, do gardening, and other simple activities for us to move,” she said.